Relapse
by Jay-Leigh17
Summary: She was again lost in the sensation of the blood running from her body. The anxiety that was washing away. The tightness in her chest that eased with each drop." Mentions of self-harm. Contains Femmeslash. You've been warned. Now Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Author**: Jay-Leigh.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Criminal Minds or CBS or anything more than my Kovu cat.

**Words**: 182

**Title**: Relapse

**Summary**: She was again lost in the sensation of the blood running from her body. The anxiety that was washing away. The tightness in her chest that eased with each drop.

**Author's Note**: This is slightly AU, with mentions of self-harm. As of right now, its character-centric, but it'll slowly transition into something better.

* * *

She sat, in the dim light her computer gave off, staring off towards the wall on the other side of the room. It was four in the morning, but she couldn't sleep.

Her mind was plagued with images of pale wrists, blue veins showing through.

Marble sinks with drops of dark red blood trailing down towards the drain.

She could smell the blood, acrid and strong, streaming from the wrists in her mind.

From her wrists.

She could feel them, her own tears, colored red by the oxygen they met when they flowed out of the gashes she had so artistically placed on her arms.

She looked down at her arm, gazing at the white bandage which just made the red seeping through more noticeable.

She was again lost in the sensation of the blood running from her body.

The anxiety that was washing away.

The tightness in her chest that eased with each drop.

Her phone ringing jolted her from her reverie.

She looked at the screen, and seeing that it was work, answered with only her last name.

"Prentiss."

* * *

So, now that we've all realized who's who, you should definitely review.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author:** Jay-Leigh.

**Words:** 566

**Author's Note: **Pretty soon we start dealing with other characters, but I needed to get this background information out of the way. And I'm extremely sorry I didn't update this sooner. There were so many rough drafts for this chapter that just didn't make it up to par.

* * *

Emily sat at her desk, finished with her report, fiddling with her sleeves and thinking back to when she first started hurting herself.

Her abortion at fifteen had taken a toll on her, and she had started cutting soon after. Her mother found out when Emily was 17, and had her hospitalized, but used her many strings to keep it quiet. As far as anyone else was concerned, Emily was studying abroad. On her 18th birthday, Emily checked herself out of the hospital, stopped her medication, and didn't harm herself again for almost 14 years.

She had been hurting herself again for almost a year before anybody found out.

_It was an accident, really._ She thinks.

_No, it wasn't. You wanted her to find out. You wanted her to know._

_You opened your door when she knocked, knowing it would be didn't even bother to try to cover the bandages. _

_She reached out and grabbed your wrist, not even stepping all the way inside._

"_What is this Emily?"_

_You pulled your hand from her grasp and shut the door behind her._

"_Just a little bit of bloodshed to prove that I'm alive."_

_She brought your hand to her chest, just over her racing heart._

"_Feel that?" She asked, leaning further into you, breathing on your lips._

"_Yes," you breathed._

"_Am I real?" she questioned._

"_Sometimes, I'm not so sure." _

_She flashed her teeth at you. Then she reached up and touched your lips._

_You took a chance and kissed her fingertips, and she trailed them down your jawline, your throat, over your shoulder and down to your left arm. She traced her fingers lightly over the bandage there, and your heart started to mimic hers. _

_You could hear the blood rushing through your ears, and you barley catch her next words._

"_Feel this?" She asks, putting your hand atop your racing heart._

"_This is all the proof I need that you're alive." She whispers in your ear._

_She kisses your pulse point and steps away, a tear in her eye._

"_Don't hurt yourself because you don't think you exist. Give me a chance to show you just how real you are."_

_You hated yourself for hurting her, and so you reached for her, pulling her into your arms, even though you knew when it was all over you would hurt even worse. You kissed her, gently at first, and when she pushed her mouth harder against yours, you let her lead you to the bedroom, thus establishing your pattern._

She continued to show up at Emily's apartment, if not this night then the next. And Emily continued to give her what she needed, but she never failed to observe the fresh bandages Emily donned the next day. It was almost a wonder she continued coming, knowing she was hurting Emily so. But sometimes, sometimes people need their own pain. And Emily never asked her to stay away.

Emily looked up, shaking her head to rid to images of that night, and any thereafter for that matter, and felt a pair of eyes on her. A pair of bright, sparkling blue eyes, the same that haunted her day in and day out. When she could take no more, Emily stood in a manner she hoped appeared calm, and walked to the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

* * *

A/N: You really should review. It helps cure writer's block.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer**: I must again admit that I do not own Criminal Minds. Although it would be pretty wicked. =D

**Word Count**: 404

**Author's Note**: I know my chapters are kind of short, but I promise you, my little pretties, they will be getting longer.

* * *

Emily kept her blade in a small case, usually tucked in a sock in the back of her drawer. But she had envisioned today being especially hard, so she'd brought it along, tucked into her back pocket.

She slid her jacket off, tossing it on the counter, and pulled the blade out sliding it across her wrist without the slightest hesitation. And then again. And once more. Before the door opened behind her. She didn't have time to register fear at being caught before a very familiar and most unwelcome voice spoke.

"What are you doing Em?"

Emily braced herself against the sink and met those blue eyes in the mirror.

"What does it look like I'm doing Jayje? And how the hell did you get in here?"

Not really caring about her answer, Emily went back to what she had been doing.

"I had the janitor—Em, stop that!"

Emily placed the blade on the counter and grabbed JJ's left wrist.

"Don't try to tell me to stop hurting myself." She fingered JJ's ring.

"Not until you start practicing what you preach."

"You have no right Emily." she started, but Emily cut her off.

"You're so full of it Jennifer. Why else would you show up on my doorstep three nights a week. Why else would you take the damn ring off each time you step through my doorway? So it doesn't rip the sheets that you're clenching while you're purring my name?"

JJ opened her mouth to speak, but faltered, not able to find an excuse. She reached for Emily's arm, but she ripped it out of JJ's grasp, consequently flinging blood across the mirror.

"You should leave now." Emily spoke, her voice just above a whisper. She was shaking; with anger, JJ assumed.

"Leave me with the mess to clean up, like you're used to." This time her voice was a whisper, barely audible, but the pain was there just the same.

JJ knew there was no use in trying to talk to her further. Besides, she didn't want Emily seeing the tears that were biting at her eyes.

She fled from the bathroom, barely avoiding running into Hotch as she rushed up the stairs, finally seeking sanctuary in her office, locking the door and pulling the blinds before she collapsed in her chair, head in her hands, and let the tears flow.

* * *

A/N: C'mon guys... I want to know how you feel. The good the bad and the ugly. I know more than one of you have read this.

My thanks to **Potion**, and as you can see, the next chapter is here, dedicated, in part, to you.


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: One of our favorite characters is going to make a reappearance in this chapter, and she'll be sticking around for a while.

I would just like to clear up a few things first.

1) This is not a Mary-Sue. Its not a cry for help. If I warrant help, I'm sure I'm already in the right hands.

2) I'm not usually a "character basher." Unless that character is Will. Not a Will fan. But in this particular fic I'm forced to paint a lovely character in a very bad light. Don't hate me.

3) I'm going to follow the cannon storyline as closely as possible, but if I change something, and leave out huge parts that are important for understanding, let me know, and I'll fix it.

And now, Chapter 4.

* * *

The team sat in the bullpen, finishing their paperwork for the last case and chatting rather amicably about how they planned to spend the weekend. It was rare that they had one off, and a few hours had been set aside for them to get drinks tonight. Hotch was in, and Rossi too, understanding that Morgan had a friend from out of town coming in who he thought the team would be likely have fun with.

"Hey, guys." Morgan said, turning his head to include Reid and Prentiss both.

"You don't mind if I bring a friend do you? She's not a date, but I bet you'd get along pretty well."

"As long as there is alcohol, I'm not likely to complain." Prentiss replied, rubbing her arms and forcibly keeping her eyes away from JJ's closed door. It had been almost a week since she'd walked in on Emily cutting herself, and Emily was still refusing to talk to her. It was hard. It was making things worse. She was cutting more frequently, cutting deeper, and sometimes she had to change the bandages three times before the cuts stopped bleeding. But she couldn't let JJ keep hurting herself like that. She wouldn't let JJ keep hurting _her_ like that.

Derek could sense that something had happened between JJ and Emily, so he didn't ask her to ask JJ if she wanted to come. Instead he would do it himself, because like it or not, they all deserved a chance to wind down. And maybe being forced to interact would help them clear the air. Besides, with his surprise friend coming tonight, there would be plenty to do besides irritate each other. He smiled and made his way to JJ's office.

It was seven o'clock, and Hotch and Rossi were the first to arrive at the bar. They slid into a table that was sort of out of the way, and fell into an easy conversation. Garcia and Emily were next, and came in laughing about something and Hotch smiled to himself. It had been a while since he'd seen Emily smile. He knew she was having a rough time. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he _was_ a profiler. He just hoped she would be able to handle it.

JJ slid into the seat next to Emily, who pretended not to see the slightly hurt look on JJ's face as she barely acknowledged that she was there. JJ filed it away to worry about later, as she tried not to stare at Emily. She had her hair down, falling loosely around her face. JJ's eyes fell to Emily's left arm and she shook her head to rid her eyes of tears as she noticed the slight bulge which meant that Emily had bandages around her wrist. She hated that Emily wouldn't talk to her, but if she had anything to say about it, that was going to change tonight.

Before she got a change to say anything directly to the brunette though, she spotted Morgan walking through the crowd towards them, another brunette on his arm, her brown eyes sparkling as she smiled at them.

Penelope gasped, pleasure and surprise written on her face.

"Elle!"

* * *

A/N: To my lovely reviewers!

My dear Potion, Emily does indeed have a savior, but JJ may fall a bit short.

Jandra452, I'm so glad I could get you to review. Your encouragement means the world to me.

, I was hoping I could get the anger across in a way that didn't seem too out of character. I'm glad the emotions weren't lost.

Ailed, Awesome? Really? I'm glad you feel that way. =D


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer**: I do not now, nor do I think I will ever get the chance to own Criminal Minds or any of its characters. Although if I could somehow stake a claim on Paget Brewster I'd be the happiest girl on this planet. Nor do I own Little Bear or any rights therefrom. I did, however, use his toothpaste when I was littler.

**Word Count**: 1645

**Author's Note**: Whoo! I passed the 1000 mark! haha. A not so short chapter for my lovely readers.

**Potion**, I'm glad I could surprise you. I like to keep my readers guessing. ;)

**Fan-of-Fans**, I know right? Ever since I started watching CM, I've pictured her being 'dark.' She's truly intoxicating. =D

**Ailed**, If you stick with me, I might just be able to paint Elle in a better light. Thanks heaps for your support.

* * *

All eyes went to Hotch, waiting to see how he would react. As far as they were concerned, Elle had been proven innocent, but the final call did and always would belong to Agent Hotchner. Surprising them, he stood swiftly and took Elle's hand, pulling her into a hug as the others joined him, circling around her, leaving only Rossi and Prentiss sitting. Elle made her way around the group, hugging each of them before sitting next to Rossi as Morgan took the seat on her other side. Once they were settled again, Hotch introduced Rossi.

"Elle, this is Dave Rossi, he came back when Gideon left."

Rossi reached for and shook Elle's hand.

"Rossi like from the original BAU team." She stated, pleased to be finally meeting him.

Hotch gestured towards the woman on his other side and started, "And this is-"

"Emily Prentiss." Elle finished for him, reaching across the table for Emily's hand.

"Derek has painted quite a lovely picture of you." She said, and Derek chuckled.

"Well, I hope I don't disappoint." Emily replied, gesturing towards herself.

"Not at all." Elle confirmed, locking eyes with Emily, and Morgan could swear that Emily blushed as she looked away. He was also fairly certain that no one else noticed as Reid had chosen then to make his appearance.

"Elle!" He practically squealed. She laughed as she stood and he pulled her into a tight embrace.

"How've you been?! I'm so sorry I didn't keep in better touch. I just thought that maybe you would want some time away from it all. But I'm so glad to see you! Are you here for good or just in town for a while? Oh! You're the friend Morgan was talking about! How long--"

"Spencer slow down!" She laughed, as did everyone else. "I see your brain still works at a million miles a minute."

Spencer looked around as he sat down between Morgan and Elle.

"Would someone like to tell me why we're in a bar and yet none of us are drinking? And don't say you were waiting on me, because you never do that." He grinned ruefully.

They looked around at each other. None could come up with a reason.

"I for one could definitely use some alcohol." Emily said. Rossi nodded his agreement and they stood, heading towards the bar.

JJ wished she had been faster than Rossi. She needed to talk to Emily. Needed to touch her, to be close to her. JJ shook her head. There was no way she was going to admit she was falling for Emily. She reached up and rubbed her head with her left hand. Big mistake. Elle reached across the table and grabbed her hand studying the ring.

"When did this happen?" She asked.

JJ groaned inwardly as she saw Emily and Rossi approaching. But she forced a smile and answered Elle.

"Just a few months ago, actually. I mean, we dated for about a year, and then I got pregnant and had Henry, but that was almost a year ago now." She reached for the beer that had been set in front of her, needing something to take her mind off the grimace that had flitted across Emily's face at hearing the chosen topic.

"You've gone and had a kid? Seriously? Wow Jayje, congratulations! He's good to you right?" Elle asked, excited at the changes in JJ's life.

"Oh, yeah, he's perfect." JJ answered, wanting nothing more than to have this conversation over with.

Emily snorted and rolled her eyes, which made JJ wince, and didn't go unnoticed by Morgan. But apparently he was the only one being perceptive tonight, because no one else seemed to notice.

The conversation turned to Elle and how she had returned to New York and done some consulting for a Special Victims Unit there but was here in town for two weeks on a vacation of sorts that Morgan had talked her into.

- - - - - - - -

Hotch and Rossi retired to their respective homes after just one drink. Morgan ribbed them for being old, and Hotch invited Elle to the BAU on Monday for lunch if she wanted, which she said she did.

Emily and Penelope went for another round of drinks, leaving the rest bantering away and teasing Reid for something he'd said.

Penelope leaned against the bar and looked at Emily.

"Elle is totally into you."

Emily choked on the breath she'd just taken.

"What are you talking about."

"She is. She's been giving you 'the eyes' all night. She's been flirting with you since she first got here. 'Not at all.'" Penelope mimicked, letting her voice drop half an octave.

"You're crazy Pen. Thats what you are."

"I think you should go for her." Penelope said as they were walking back.

Emily almost dropped the drinks she was carrying.

"Pen, I'm not.. I don't.. How did you..?" She spluttered.

"Friends know Em. I've known forever. The one date you ever talked about was a total flop, and it was _not_ because you were being too nerdy." She laughed at the expression on Emily's face.

"But you really should consider it. At the very least, maybe you'll get some." Penelope said as they reached the table.

"Garcia!" Emily half shouted, half choked, setting the drinks on the table and taking Hotch's empty chair, putting her a seat away from JJ. It was easier that way. Thankfully, Garcia sat between them.

"Some what?" Elle inquired, now just an empty chair away from Emily, and Penelope just laughed as Emily blushed and choked on whatever she had been planning on saying in reply.

Penelope winked at Elle and Morgan caught on, realizing he wasn't the only one paying attention after all, and he started laughing, causing Emily to blush harder.

Elle had to admit, the girl was pretty when she blushed.

"C'mon guys, you're gonna kill her." Spencer interjected. "Plus, I don't get it."

At that, all of them laughed, JJ included, even though she was sure she didn't like what they were eluding to. Emily was _hers_ and she'd be damned if anyone was going to take her away. Evan a friend as good as Elle.

_Wait. Where had that come from?_ JJ wondered. She shook her head. Hard. She had to get out of here before she did something stupid. She stood, gathering her coat but froze as she heard Emily's voice.

"Leaving so soon, Jayje?" JJ looked at her, thought about how cute she was when she bit her lip, and shook her head once more.

_Yup. Definitely have to get out of here._

"Yeah. I gotta get home. Will's waiting..." She said, and immediately wished she hadn't. She watched the hurt look cross Emily's face, wishing irrationally that she could kiss her.

"Oh. Right. Will." Emily said, turning back to her drink and not looking back up until JJ had gone.

Even Reid knew that something was amiss between the two women, but none of them wanted to be the one to bring it up. At least not here, in a bar. Each made some mental note to ask one of them about it later.

"So, Emily, what was it like growing up as an ambassador's daughter?" Elle asked, catching the attention of the others. Emily hardly talked about her childhood.

"Well, we moved around a lot. It was pretty interesting. I spent a lot of time with bodyguards and tutors and such." She tried to skirt around the topic, not wanting it to lead to Rome and what happened there and after.

"Oh, come on Em." Morgan said. "I bet you spent your time shirking your detail and running around with bears and climbing trees in dresses."

She laughed, and Reid couldn't help but add that Little Bear also featured a duck, cat, hen, and sometimes a whale.

"Just because you're young enough to have actually watched the show, doesn't mean you should make me look bad." Morgan laughed, ruffling Reid's hair.

"Ok Reid, here's a question for you. If your body absorbs alcohol faster when it is consumed by itself, why have you never suggested that we eat while we consume it?" Emily asked.

"Because I secretly don't want to hang out with you guys." He replied, looking around the table expectantly.

They sat in silence, not sure of what to make of Reid's comment.

"Oh come on guys! The one time I'm actually joking about something and none of you gets it. That is so like you!" Spencer blurted out.

Garcia reached over and patted his hand.

"Your humor is just so new to us honey. We didn't recognize it. You should let it out more often."

"Humor is not something you can keep in a cage, Garcia. Actually, its--"

"Ok Reid. We don't need a tutorial on 'Humor and How It Works'". Elle laughed, effectively stopping that conversation.

"I wanna dance." She announced, and looked around the table, her eyes lingering slightly on Emily.

Garcia elbowed Emily in the side, but she didn't budge. She wanted to dance. More so, she wanted to dance with Elle. But she couldn't. Because some stupidly huge part of her felt as if she were betraying JJ just thinking about it. But JJ had chosen. So why did she feel this way?

Morgan looked around the table, his eyes also falling on Emily, but her eyes were clouded over, and he recognized that stormy look that floated across her face. Better to leave that one to Garcia.

"Well I'm game." He announced and dragged Elle onto the dance floor.

* * *

A/N: Soooooo. You should totally review. Because that chapter was really long. And you're starting to see that I totally rock socks. =D


	6. Chapter 6

**Word Count**: 667

**Author's Note**: While this chapter is a little shorter than the last one, it shows things from JJ's point of view.

**Key**, I'm hoping you'll like where it does eventually go.

**Ailed**, I'm glad you're willing to give her a chance. And I'm planning on giving each character plenty of more 'screen time'.

Just for the record: This is the chapter where this fic begins to earn its rating. Mild compared to later chapters tho. Not outright smut. Yet.

* * *

JJ was in a daze as she drove to her apartment. Her mind was being maliciously elicit with her memories of Emily. Bombarding her with smell, touch, taste. Anything it could dig its sticky little fingers into.

_You only break the kiss so she can point you in the direction of the bedroom that is hers, and you've barely reached the bed when she's kissing you again. Her mouth is hot as she trails kisses down your neck. You lean your head back, allowing her access to the base of your throat. You shiver unexpectedly as she slides her hand down your side, slipping her hand under your shirt. You gasp into her mouth as she rakes her nails down your stomach. She pushes your shirt up and she surprises you by bringing her mouth to your stomach. You groan as she draws patterns with her tongue, and blows gently. Another shiver rushes through you, and you can't help but wonder how her tongue would feel in other places. She slides a hand up the inside of your thigh, and presses against your heat. You jump slightly, and moan her name, your breath hitching as she looks at you, her eyes dark with desire. She's asking you silently if you want this, and you lift your hips up into her hand. As her mouth goes to the button on your jeans, your back arches and you lose your ability to maintain coherent thought processes. _

JJ shakes her head, finally realizing that she's been parked for quite sometime. She slides the keys out of the ignition, grabs her jacket, and makes her way towards her front door. She knows Will is going to be awake, waiting on the couch for her. He's going to walk up to her when she walks in, take her coat, and kiss her, saying how much he's missed her. Then he'll say something about how Henry was while she was gone, and he'll offer her something to eat. She'll say no, and he'll ask if she's tired. Depending on her answer, they'll either go to bed or sit on the couch, watching some television as he tries to snuggle with her.

Will was so predictable. Maybe thats what led her to Emily. Or maybe it was the way she walks, the fluid motion of her legs. Or the way she talks, her voice cascading over JJ's ears, drowning out everything else. Or maybe her dark hair, framing her face and accentuating her pale skin. Whatever it was, it had captivated JJ from the start, and she had refused to admit it. She was still refusing to admit it. Because Emily had stopped talking to her. Emily was pushing her away with everything she had.

JJ let herself in, and slid her shoes off. It was dark in the hallway, and the living room was quiet as well.

"Thats odd." JJ muttered. "Maybe he fell asleep."

As she got further into the house she realized that Will was nowhere to be seen. She slipped into the bedroom they shared, and saw him lying there, on the far side of the bed, with his back to the door. They didn't exactly have 'sides' of the bed, but Will usually slept on the one closest to the door, and only had his back to it when she was in his arms. And he had never gone to bed without her.

The fact that this didn't frighten JJ like it would have a year ago should have tipped her off. The ease with which she could shake off the thought that he might be upset with her should have had warning bells going off. His breathing, which changed as she entered the room, slipping into bed, letting her know he was still awake and in essence ignoring her, well that should have hurt her. But it didn't.

And that alone should have proved to JJ that she had indeed fallen in love with Emily Prentiss.

* * *

Mmkay. So there is chapter 6. I'm hoping to have 7 and maybe 8 done by Monday. Review and let me know what you think thus far.


	7. Chapter 7

**Words**: 1363

**Disclaimer**: Sadly, I still don't own Criminal Minds. I dream about it sometimes tho.

**Author's** **Note**: I'm sorry this wasn't up earlier. But the chapter that was originally chapter 7 became Chapter 8 when this popped into my head. It makes for a better story this way. Another chapter over the 1000 word mark. **=D** Go me! I hope you guys enjoy it.

**Key**, your words bring joy to my heart.

**Jaiden**, here is your more.

**Potion**, you are quickly becoming one of my favorite people. Your continued support means heaps to me.

* * *

It was turning out to be a slow week at the BAU, and they were all grateful. Paperwork had been caught up on, and they were basically getting paid to hang out in the bull pen, every once in a while looking through a stray folder for a consult.

They ate together in the conference room, during which time Hotch 'pretended' not to notice Derek stealing Spencer's food, and the tension between Emily and JJ left a bad taste in everyone's mouth.

Derek, searching for something to say to start some sort of conversation that wasn't totally awkward voiced his thoughts about what they should do tonight.

"So, I say we go out tonight."

"Its Thursday Morgan." JJ sighed, exhausted from trying not to break down in front of Emily.

"And?" Derek asked. "Its not like we have anything better to do. We don't have a case tomorrow yet do we?" He asked.

"Well, no." She said. "But—" he cut her off.

"But nothing. I'm game. I'm sure Elle will be. Anybody else?"

Penelope nodded, and she and Derek both looked at Emily, who fidgeted for a moment. She wanted to, they could see it in her eyes, but they knew she was struggling with whatever was going on between her and JJ. She had refused to talk about it, as had the blond liaison.

"I can't." JJ voiced. "I'm exhausted." She wanted nothing more than to go out with Emily, but she couldn't stand to sit through another night like the last one, where Elle made eyes at Emily all night and Emily ignored JJ. She would go home and sit with Will, and miss Henry, who was with her parents for a week, while she tried to will herself to love Will.

Emily breathed an inaudible sigh of relief at hearing JJ wasn't going out tonight. She needed some time away from the blond. She needed to convince herself it wasn't cheating to think of a beautiful woman who wasn't blond with blue eyes, a son and a fiancé.

Hotch and Rossi declined, each going with the 'its a weeknight' excuse, but Reid agreed to come out for a few hours.

"Emily?" Penelope asked, pleading with her silently. Having spoken with her, Penelope knew Elle was indeed into Emily, and she knew without being told that Emily needed to have fun. Some time to just relax and be herself.

"You're not going to let me say no, are you?" Emily asked playfully, knowing what her friend would say, and being glad for it.

"Nope. Looks like its just us five then. Are you sure I can't convince you guys otherwise?" Derek asked, secretly hoping that Hotch, Rossi and JJ would stick to their previous answers. He felt bad about wishing JJ would stay home, but she had Will. She didn't need to keep abusing the hold she had over Emily. He was fairly certain they were sleeping together. But he had no proof.

They each shook their heads, and all went back to eating silently. As the lunch hour was drawing to an end, Hotch looked around at them.

"It really is dead this week, isn't it." He said, as they each nodded in turn.

"Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to let you go early today." He said, smiling slightly at the relieved and excited looks he saw pass over their faces.

"Awesome." Derek said happily, sharing a look with Garcia, a purely conspiratorial look.

They set the hour, and then Reid, Garcia and Derek headed out, laughing about something as they hit the elevator button.

Emily returned to her desk, not wanting to sit in her house by herself for longer than absolutely necessary. Every room in her house reminded her of JJ. Especially her bedroom. She hadn't been sleeping in it, opting instead for her oversized couch, the one piece of furniture she and JJ had never christened.

JJ headed back to her office, wanting to wrap up a few reports before she headed home. She knew she was just avoiding Will, but things had been off between the two of them lately, and she wasn't ready to face him for four extra hours.

Hotch and Rossi stayed seated in the conference room, talking.

"You know that they're trying to hook Emily up with Elle right?" Rossi said, looking back to Hotch.

"Yeah, I got that impression Friday night." He replied. "But if it will helps resolve whatever is going on between she and JJ, I'll give her an order to go out with the woman." Hotch shook his head.

"You think it'll help?" Rossi asked.

"I have no idea. I don't even know what to make of it. I don't want to know whats going on between the two of them. I won't write them up, but I don't want to know." Hotch answered.

"Sounds about right." Rossi agreed.

It was a little after seven, and Penelope was watching Reid beat Prentiss at Rummy. Emily laid down three threes, and Reid swore under his breath.

"I needed that!" He said, outraged.

"Ah, the tables have turned," Emily laughed, and Penelope smiled, thinking how good it was to hear her laugh again. She hadn't seen Emily this relaxed in weeks. Maybe even months. She looked out onto the dance floor, trying to find Derek and Elle. He had dragged her out there almost immediately after she'd arrived.

*** on the dance floor** *

"You're going to have to just ask her." Derek said as he twirled her around, and brought her back again, flush against his chest.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Elle replied as she spun out again.

"Emily." He said simply.

"Come off it Derek. She's not into me. And even if she was, she's so wrapped up in JJ, she wouldn't notice me if I whispered it all into her pretty little ear."

Derek stepped back from Elle, then brought her close again, all the while spinning them in slow circles.

"JJ has a son and a fiancé, Elle. And I'm pretty sure that whatever they did have, stopped being had a few weeks ago. Penelope is the only one who might know for sure. I say you go up and whisper it all into her pretty little ear." He winked and dipped her, low. So low that she grabbed onto him for assurance that she wouldn't fall.

"What? Don't you trust me?" He asked, and just like he knew she would, she nodded.

"Then get to whisperin'." He said, and walked off towards the table, leaving Elle shaking her head on the dance floor.

She followed, a few feet behind him, but instead of her seat, Elle ended up behind Emily. Derek laughed as he realized that she was indeed going to whisper it in Emily's pretty little ear.

Morgan engaged Reid and Garcia in some meaningless conversation to try and downgrade the chance of interruption, because he was fairly certain Elle was just as nervous as she appeared to be confident.

Elle decided that if she was going to take this chance, she was going to take it all the way. She swept Emily's hair back from her ear, and kissed just underneath it.

"What do you say we do this again sometime, without everybody else." She breathed into Emily's ear.

Emily's eyes were closed and her bottom lip was pulled in between her teeth as she tried to regain her composure enough to form a decent reply. It had been a long time since someone had been this forward with her. And she had to admit, she liked it quite immensely.

"I think I might have to say yes to that." Emily replied, relaxing slightly against the other woman.

"Good. I'll pick you up at seven tomorrow night." Elle returned to her seat and winked at Emily, who blushed.

Derek caught Penelope's eye and grinned, causing Penelope to look around at Emily, her able eyes not missing the blush that was just receding from her friend's face.

* * *

**A/N**: So there it is. Review?


	8. Chapter 8

**Word Count**: 3663

**Author's Note**: This chapter is extremely long. I was going to cut it into two pieces, but I decided to just go ahead and give you all of it at once. It flows better that way.

**Warning**: So this chapter gets a little smuttier than the others, and it also gets a little...well, questionable. Don't question my sanity. There's no need. I'm perfectly, certifiably, crazy.

**Potion**, you're giving me a huge ego. I love it. Thank you. And yes, JJ's reaction to Emily's date is, if I do say so myself, quite memorable. But its not in this chapter. Other things have to happen first. Coming soon tho, I assure you.

Anywho, onto the story.

* * *

Emily had torn through her entire closet trying to find something to wear on her date with Elle.

"When the hell did I become such a huge _girl_?" she cried as she tossed yet another outfit onto her bed, along with the sixty-two others that had been turned down.

"Oh, right. When somebody butch-er than me asked me out." Emily sighed, falling onto her bed, being careful not to mess up her hair, which had only taken two hours.

It felt odd to be in her bedroom again. She hadn't spent more than five minutes at a time in here since her fight with JJ in the bathroom at work. She hated how the sheets still smelled like the blond.

Shaking her head Emily looked up, and her eyes caught the box on the top shelf of her closet. Emily's eyes lit up, and she jumped up, grabbing it down and setting it on a clear spot of her bed, sitting next to it. She traced the design on top with her finger, thinking back to why she actually had it.

--

"_Emily?" JJ lifted her head off Emily's shoulder and looked her in the eye. "Why are you such a guy?" She had meant it as a serious question, but Emily laughed anyway._

"_I mean—" she started, but Emily cut her off._

"_I know what you meant Jayje. I guess its just because I like being in control. Especially with you."_

_Emily flipped them, pinning JJ's hands over her head with one hand and trailing the other down her stomach as she kissed her fiercely. JJ surprised Emily by sliding out from under her and turning Emily over, pouncing on her. She dragged her teeth along Emily's neck, drawing a moan from the brunette. _

"_I want you to do something for me." she breathed into Emily's ear._

"_Anything." Emily breathed, only half coherent._

_JJ grinned wickedly. "I want you to be a girl. My girl." she whispered._

_Emily caught her eyes, confused._

"_I want you in a skirt. And I want you to let take you. However I want. Even if that means on my knees with you up against the wall."_

_She slid two fingers into Emily's slick heat and Emily knew she had lost. She would agree to anything JJ wanted, even when her brain wasn't sex addled. So she nodded._

"_Say it." JJ commanded, entirely too comfortable being dominant. _

"_However you want. Anything JJ, just don't stop." JJ grinned in victory._

--

And that was how she'd ended up with a decidedly short red and black plaid skirt paired with a low cut long sleeve shirt of the same red, both in the same box as a pair of strappy black heels. If she was going to do this, she was going to do it right.

But even as she thought about it, she knew that JJ would never get her fantasy. Because JJ had stopped turning up on her doorstep, and even so, JJ had Will. Before she'd even realized it, Emily was in the bathroom and had sliced her wrist once, twice, three times, and her blood was flowing freely into the sink. Emily shook her head. She had to stop doing this. She shook her head to rid the images of JJ, any images of JJ, and stood, carefully wrapping her wrist.

"If I don't wear it now, I never will." She said to herself, slipping the lid off the box as she did so. She had to get over JJ, and if that meant wearing this with Elle, then so be it. Besides, she had never actually had the entire outfit on at the same time.

She slipped a black camisole on, and the red shirt over it, then stepped out of her sweatpants and into the skirt, which hung low on her hips and stopped about mid-thigh. She eyed the heels warily, never having been a fan of them. But Elle was tall enough that she would still be shorter than the other woman. So she slid them on, and made her way downstairs. Halfway down she realized that she had no idea where they were going. She knew the skirt would be appropriate and, if she was lucky, well received. But Elle had refused to tell her where they were going. So Emily headed back up the stairs and rummaged in her dresser for a pair of stockings, hoping she might not totally freeze. She found none. Cursing under her breath, she opted for the next best thing, a pair of thigh high fish nets she wasn't even aware she had. Emily figured that if she was going to go for almost-slutty-goth, because that was indeed how she looked, that she might as well go all the way. So she slipped on a fishnet arm covering from her highschool days, slid her shirtsleeve over it, and headed back down the stairs.

_***_

Elle pulled up to Emily's condo and whistled under her breath. She had known that Emily had money, but this was more than she had expected. She stepped out of her car, and made her way to Emily's door. She knocked, and heard heels clicking across hardwood and as the door opened she forgot how to breathe. There stood Emily, looking just a bit shy, but totally goth. _And definitely hot_. Elle's mind supplied for her. She was at a loss for words, and for a moment, Emily worried if maybe this had been the wrong decision. But Elle, in a moment of sudden confidence, took her by the hand and twirled her around.

"I'm glad I didn't tell you where I was taking you." Elle said, smiling appreciatively.

"Why is that?" Emily asked, grabbing her keys and slipping them into a purse she'd found in her closet earlier that day.

"Because our plans just changed." Elle answered simply, letting Emily lock her door and take a few steps before she followed. She watched the sway of Emily's hips and the twitch of the fabric around them as she walked, almost walking into her before she realized that Emily had stopped walking.

"See something you like?" Emily asked without turning, although Elle could hear the smile in her voice.

"Actually," Elle said, stepping forward and placing her hands on Emily's hips, pulling their bodies flush against each other, "I see quite a lot that I like." She nuzzled her nose against Emily's neck, smiling when Emily tilted her head to give her more access.

"You want me to kiss you." Elle stated, and Emily shivered. She'd never been with someone, man or woman, who was this deliciously audacious, and she had to admit, it was definitely a turn on.

Deciding that Elle couldn't have all the fun, she slid her hand behind Elle's head, curling her fingers into the taller woman's hair. Elle chuckled softly and brought her lips to Emily's neck. Teasing her gently, Elle slid her tongue along the curve of Emily's ear.

"C'mon girl. If we don't go now, we won't." She said and pressed another kiss just below Emily's ear.

Emily stood for a moment, getting her breathing back under control. _If she keeps that up, she's gonna kill me. _

***

"Elle?" Emily asked quietly as they turned onto a road she didn't know.

The woman in question turned her face towards Emily while still keeping her eyes on the road.

"Where are we going?"

"What did you say when I asked if you'd like to go out with me?" Elle asked checking her mirrors as she turned right onto another road Emily didn't know.

"Yes." Emily replied shyly.

"Then let me take you out." Elle answered softly, reaching over and slipping her hand into Emily's, running her thumb over Emily's knuckles. She squeezed Emily's hand and ran her fingers along the back of her hand towards her wrist and Emily flinched, not comfortable with how close Elle was to her very recent cuts.

Obviously having no idea why Emily would object to her touch, Elle removed her hand, pretending to suddenly need both hands on the steering wheel. Emily realized what had happened and cursed herself. Stupid cuts. First they'd landed her in a hospital, then they'd landed her in bed with JJ, which ended horribly. Now, they were ruining her date with Elle, and she really _really_ wanted this date to go well.

Elle kept her eyes on the road, and her breathing steady as Emily reached for her hand, placing it on her thigh. She raised one eyebrow, knowing Emily was looking at her, but Emily just laid her arm across Elle's and laced their fingers together. She smiled slightly as she caught Elle watching her from the corner of her eye. Elle sighed softly. Between the way sparks flew when they touched, and how she couldn't breathe when held by that gaze, this woman was going to be the death of her.

***

Nine o'clock found them on a dance floor, in an upscale club just outside of Washington.

Elle twirled Emily like she had back at the condo, and as Emily twirled back into her arms Elle brought their lips together. Emily's arms found their way around Elle's neck, as the taller woman's hands slipped down to Emily's hips, pulling her closer. Emily, ever the bold one, slid her tongue along Elle's lips, and was immediately granted entrance. Tongues met and sparks flew as a battle for dominance ensued. Elle used her height as an advantage, but a twitch of Emily's hips had her whimpering into Emily's mouth. The shorter woman laughed against her partner's mouth, pulling her lower lip between her teeth.

"I'm not going to ask where you learned _that_ little trick." Elle said smirking, as Emily turned in her arms and began to sway her hips to the rhythm of the new song.

"Morgan was right." Emily said. "I did spend my childhood years shirking my detail, but it wasn't to go climbing trees." She slid her hands over her head and buried them in Elle's hair, enjoying the delicious shivers that ran through her body as Elle's hands ran down her sides and slipped under her shirt.

Even for a Friday night, the club was slightly over-full, so it didn't surprise Emily much when Elle asked her if she wanted to 'slip away unnoticed'.

She took Elle's hand and led her outside, turning suddenly to face her, pressing their lips together. A little surprised, Elle's lips were slightly open, and Emily slid her tongue through the gap, running it over Elle's teeth before sliding it against her own tongue. She groaned at the sweet taste of the other woman's mouth. This was something she could get used to.

***

When they arrived at Emily's, she invited Elle up, and consequently had a had time getting into her condo, what with the other woman's teasing mouth on her neck.

They made it inside, and Emily leaned back on her door, her eyes half lidded, as she watched Elle turn slowly towards her.

"You are so sexy like that." Elle breathed, sensing the tension in the room change. She knew what she wanted, and if her profiling skills were anything like they used to be, Emily wanted the same thing. But she wouldn't take the chance of being wrong. She turned to make her way further into the house but stopped when she heard Emily's voice, husky and low.

"Elle. Here. Come here."

And Elle was suddenly there, against Emily, kissing her hard and keeping her firmly pinned against the door, one hand on her lower back, bringing their hips together, the other under Emily's left thigh, holding it up around Elle's waist. Emily tore her mouth away from Elle's as the taller woman's hand reached the top of her thigh highs and teased against soft flesh.

"So sexy." Elle whispered against Emily's neck, wanting nothing more than to take the other woman here and now, but knowing she wouldn't. She had no problem with going that far on the first date, but she wanted this, whatever it was, with Emily to be special. Special-er than up against the door. She'd save that for later.

Elle slid her hands up Emily's sides, coming to rest beside her head, bracing her against the other woman. Emily groaned.

"Don't stop." She whispered, eyes closed, fighting off tears.

Elle opened her eyes and was immediately scared. Had she hurt Emily? This was so confusing. She slid one hand under Emily's chin.

"Emily, baby, look at me." Emily opened her eyes, trying to turn her head as hot tears slowly made their way down her face.

"Whats wrong Emily?" Elle asked, letting her face go, but not before she slid her thumb across Emily's cheek, catching the stray tears.

"If you stop...I won't be able to..."Emily whispered, feeling horrible about herself.

Still confused, Elle took Emily's hands and pulled her to the couch.

"Talk to me Emily. Tell me. Is it about JJ?" Elle knew she was right when Emily's head shot up and her eyes went wide.

"How did you...?"

"I was a profiler, too, remember." Elle smiled softly at Emily. "Emily, I like you. And I really think we could have something. I'd like to think you feel that way, too. But I'm not going to take from you what you aren't ready to give me. I'll wait. And if I never get all of you, then it's going to be because I'm not the one you want having all of you. If I _do_ get all of you, as happy as I would be, I'm not going to take you against a door just because its the only way you can. I know what its like to hurt over somebody. I know what its like to want so badly to move on, but for some reason not be able to. It helps to talk. You can talk to me. I won't judge you. I'm the last person in the world who has any right to judge you. Just don't shut me out. Please." Elle pleaded gently with Emily, who's eyes closed as a few more tears slid down her face.

"I've never been 'the girl'." Emily said softly, just as Elle convinced herself the other woman wasn't going to talk.

"JJ called me on it once, and told me that she wanted me to be a femme for her, just once, and thats where this came from." Emily gestured down at herself. "But I needed so badly to have it associated with someone else, that I put it on tonight, and I didn't even care that I looked like a slut, because in a way I was getting back at her. And I know it was wrong to use you like that, and I'm sorry." Emily sighed as she drew away from Elle, curling into a corner of the couch.

What Elle did next confused her more than college girls had.

"Take your shoes off." Elle commanded, as she did what she asked Emily to do.

Emily complied, and Elle sat back against the arm of the couch, pulling Emily against her. Emily relaxed into her chest, and Elle's arms wrapped around her.

"Don't be sorry, Em. You didn't look like a slut. You're beautiful. Slightly Gothic, but not slutty. That getup is definitely an attention getter." Elle said as she ran one hand up the inside of Emily's thigh. Her voice lowered as she said, "And I would definitely _love _to dominate you Emily." Emily gasped and relaxed further into Elle, lifting her leg slightly, subconsciously hoping the journey would be continued. But Elle removed her hand, knowing that they needed to have this conversation if this was going to go anywhere.

"So how long were you and JJ..." She trailed off, not wanting to call it...well, not wanting to call it anything really.

"Almost a year." Emily answered. "She just showed up on my doorstep one night, and convinced me to go to bed with her."

"How did she do that?" Elle pushed gently. She knew Emily needed to talk about this if she was ever going to get over the blond.

Emily sighed and stood up, looking down at Elle.

"You want to be with me?" She asked, bluntly.

"Yes." Elle answered with hesitation.

"Then you have to see _me_." Emily said, heading for the stairs as Elle stood and followed.

They went through Emily's bedroom to her bathroom, and she thanked the stars above that she'd had the idea to shove the 63 "not quite right" outfits back into her closet before Elle had arrived.

Emily slid her sleeve up, pulled her arm covering off, and revealed the bandage on her wrist.

Elle looked at her questioningly.

Emily sighed. _Now or never..._ She peeled the bandage back, revealing swollen red gashes that hadn't quite stopped bleeding yet.

"You...you cut." Elle said as she slowly understood. She'd seen it before with victims, but she'd never known anyone personally who did. She did know however, that it was odd for someone Emily's age to still harm themselves.

Emily nodded, settling herself on the counter so she could clean her wounds before bandaging them again. "I stopped when I was 18. My mother had had me locked up, and I got out and stopped. But I started again almost two years ago. JJ found out and tried to get me to stop by sleeping with me. But that only made it worse. But I couldn't stop giving her what she wanted. Until a few weeks ago, I was at her disposal. Anything she wanted. But I can't let her do that to herself. I had to stand up for her, if she wouldn't. And I guess a small part of me was standing up for me..." Emily trailed off as Elle's hands covered hers.

Elle pulled the rag out of Emily's hands, and went to work gently cleaning the cuts.

Emily could only watch with bated breath as Elle's fingers worked over her damaged skin.

Before she put a fresh bandage over Emily's wrist, Elle brought it to her mouth and kissed it, just below where the cuts started. She felt rather than heard Emily gasp, and for some reason she decided it would be incredibly erotic to partake of Emily's blood.

Elle brought her mouth over Emily's cuts, and as her tongue slid out and met wet flesh, her eyes closed. She felt the shudder that ran through Emily, and as her mouth closed over one of the gashes and blood seeped into her mouth Emily's other hand slid into her hair and she realized she wasn't the only one who considered this extremely erotic.

She lifted her head, feeling very much like a vampire, and had to bite her lip to keep from moaning at the sight in front of her.

Emily's head was thrown back, leaning against the cabinet behind her, her right hand gripping the edge of the counter, her legs around Elle's waist, and her left wrist still limp in Elle's hand.

Emily's eyes slid open, her dark eyes almost black.

"Where the hell did you get the idea to do that?" She asked softly, as Elle silently bandaged her wrist.

"I'm not sure. It just seemed right." Elle answered just as softly, not sure if she'd messed things up or not.

"Kiss me." Emily said, leaning towards her, resting her arms on Elle's shoulders as Elle's went around her waist. Emily moaned into Elle's mouth as she tasted her blood on Elle's tongue. Truly erogenous.

Elle pulled back and looked down at her watch. It was nearing one o'clock.

"I should probably head back to the hotel." She made no move to untangle herself from the other brunette.

"Stay?" Emily asked. She wasn't ready to let Elle go. And she didn't want to be alone.

"Sleep." Emily said, at the question in Elle's eyes. "For now."

She tossed Elle a pair of sweats from the bedroom, and changed herself while Elle changed in the bathroom. She slid into the bed, remembering suddenly that her phone was downstairs. Remembering that JJ had told them they wouldn't have a case this weekend, she shrugged, resigned to leave the damn thing down there.

Elle emerged from the bathroom, biting her lip at seeing Emily in her camisole and shorts.

"You have to stop doing this to me." She whispered as she slid into bed beside Emily.

"What's that?" Emily asked against her lips.

"Being so damn sexy." Elle answered, kissing her, and manipulating their bodies until Emily was curled into her.

Emily laughed as she slid closer to Elle, liking the feel of strong arms around her. She rarely allowed anyone to hold her, and it had been years since the last time anyone had dared try.

"You're not going to run away while I'm sleeping, are you?" Emily asked sleepily, gripping onto Elle as if she were actually afraid of this happening.

"Never." Elle answered, and smiled softly to herself as Emily's hold softened. Maybe this would end up being something after all, Elle thought to herself. But in the mean time, she wasn't going to push it. She rested her head against Emily's and closed her eyes, drifting off soon after.

* * *

**A/N**: So Review and tell me about how much you absolutely adored the past however long it took you to read that. =D

And I'm sorry if I've offended anyone, or grossed you out. But I've always found Vampires really hot...


	9. Chapter 9

**Word Count**: 1301

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Criminal Minds. Proof? Will exists...

**Author's Note**: Look at me. Three chapters in a row over 1000 words. This one is decidedly short compared to the last one, but the date chapter sort of got out of control. Sue me...

I would just like to take a moment to thank all those who have reviewed so far. You really do make my day. The previous chapter got five reviews in less than twelve hours, so I just had to post this next one earlier than I had originally planned. As a further thank you.

**LB**, you flatter me.

**Caramel. Tart.**,at my mercy? Quite the opposite my friend. I was hoping people would get that impression of the blood thing, rather than "omg ewe" lol. And as for Emily getting over JJ, you'll just have to keep reading. The same goes for Emily's cutting. I have to admit, I find it pretty hot too tho.

**Liz**, I'm glad you found my vampire scene intriguing. I'm not sure yet if there will be more.

**TXCharm86**, smoothly? When is anything ever smooth for Elle or Prentiss? ;)

**Prentissfan**, I'm glad you stuck with it long enough to fall in love. I hope I don't disappoint.

Oh, and remember how, in Chapter 4, I said I was going to follow the canon? Yeah, well, I lied. Kevin? Who is this Kevin you speak of?

* * *

Penelope Garcia loved her job. She was pretty sure she was falling in love with her boyfriend. And she absolutely adored her friends.

But she also loved her sleep.

So when Jennifer Jareau interrupted that sleep at half passed two on a Saturday morning, she was fairly certain she'd have something to apologize for before the conversation was over. But when she heard JJ gasping for breath on the other end of the line, she was suddenly alert.

"Jayje, whats going on?" she asked, sitting up and turning on the light beside her bed.

"Baby..." Someone pulled on her arm, "Get back down here, Mama."

"Shush." She said, shaking his hand off. "JJ, honey, talk to me."

"She won't...She's gone." JJ gasped, trying to gain control of herself.

"Who honey. Who's gone?" Penelope coaxed, worried now.

"Emily...She won't answer her phone. Pen, I can't..."

Penelope didn't need to hear anything else. Filing away the information about Emily, who she knew to be safe at home, for later questioning, Penelope addressed JJ again.

"I'll be right there Jayje. Just don't go anywhere, alright?" Upon hearing the feeble 'ok' from the other end, Penelope stood, heading to her dresser and pulling on some clothes that were slightly more suitable for outside her apartment.

Derek was up the moment she was. He knew she was on the phone with JJ, and from what he could hear, something was seriously amiss. From the looks of it, Penelope was heading over there, and if she was, so was he. Morgan cared about JJ like he cared about his sisters. And if that idiot of an ex-detective wanna be boyfriend almost husband had hurt her, he would pay. Morgan would make anyone pay who hurt his family.

"I guess you're coming?" Penelope asked him as he slipped his shoes on. She didn't ask in a condescending tone. The way he looked after the team was one of the qualities she loved about him.

He nodded, following her out the door, past the other doors, behind which he could only assume were happy, sleeping people, and into the parking garage where Esther had been resting.

***

JJ heard the knock on her door but didn't get up. She stayed curled up on the couch, staring dejectedly at the floor, trying her damnedest to keep from crying. She had unlocked the door for her friend when Penelope said she was coming over. She didn't care that it could be anyone at her door. She fleetingly thought of an ax murderer, and wondered if she would really be upset if one walked through her door. But when the knob turned and the door swung forward on its hinges, Penelope walked through, silently followed by Derek. It wasn't until then that JJ realized she had still been hoping it would be Emily who came to her rescue. With that hope crushed, the tears began to fall, and Morgan pulled her into his arms as Penelope headed for the kitchen to make tea to calm their friend down.

***

They were sitting on the couch, watching her swirl her spoon through her tea, knowing she wasn't really seeing it. They weren't sure what to say, how to get her talking. The only information they'd obtained was that Will wasn't there, and that JJ's parents had agreed to keep Henry for a few more weeks while she "handled some things". It surprised them when she started to talk.

"I'm such a bitch."

"Oh, kitten, don't call yourself that." Penelope tried to soothe her.

"Don't call me _that_!" JJ's head snapped up quickly.

"Sorry." JJ shook her head. "Its just that..." She trailed off, heading back down memory lane.

–

"_Ya know, Garcia pretty much nailed it when she started calling you 'Kitten'." Emily said softly one night, after she'd taken JJ over the edge countless times. _

"_Why is that?" JJ asked, turning so she was facing Emily, and stroking her fingers along the brunette's stomach._

"_Because you purr." Emily replied, kissing her. "When you're close, and you can't take much more, and you're pleading with me, but all you can get out is my name. You purr."_

"_Like this?" JJ asked, crawling up Emily's body, whispering her name into her ear, dragging it out._

_The brunette let out a breathy moan. "Yes." She managed, pulling JJ's mouth to hers again._

_But JJ had different ideas of just where her mouth should be._

–

JJ came back to the present, cursing the tears trailing down her face and took a few deep breaths preparing to tell them this story. She knew if she did, she would have to tell all of it, outing not only herself but Emily as well. _Well,_ she thought, _here goes everything._

"Emily," JJ had to pause, fighting off another wave of tears at having to say her name, "She always used to say how you were right when you called me 'kitten' because apparently I purr."

Penelope and Derek just looked at her, not sure of exactly when JJ was referring to, but not wanting her to clam up either.

"She used to tease me about it. But we both knew she liked it. I could tell, by the way she would bite her lip every time I did. She's so beautiful when she does that." JJ stopped herself before she could go any further down memory lane.

Penelope, who had been pretty sure that there was something between JJ and Emily, had her answer now, and for once, had no idea what to say. Derek, however, was a different story.

"You and Prentiss?" He whistled low. "Hot."

Penelope elbowed him, partly because they were sleeping together, but mostly because JJ was hurting, and he wasn't helping.

"So not the right time Derek."

"No Pen. He's right." JJ spoke softly. "It was hot. Incredibly so. It was downright sexy. _She_ was downright sexy. The way she looked at me like I was all that mattered. The way she always had to make sure I got exactly what I wanted when we made love." JJ choked over some stray tears, not even trying to stop them now.

"Never have I had a more attentive lover. And it wasn't even her skill, although that was amazing, too." JJ smiled at another memory. But when the smile fell from her face, Penelope wanted to cry, too.

"But she was hurting herself." JJ said, cursing herself afterwards. It wasn't her place to tell them about Emily's self injury. She ignored the looks on her friends' faces and just plowed on. "I could tell something was off. At work, she would ignore me. She stopped answering her phone when I called. But every time I showed up at her place she let me in. But last week..." JJ trailed off, trying to figure out how she was going to tell them what had happened without injuring Emily's name more.

"Last week I cornered her in the bathroom, and she told me to stop hurting myself. She grabbed my wrist and played with my ring, and it made me wish so hard that she'd been the one to put it there. And then when Elle noticed it while we were out, I wanted to just deny it all, but I couldn't because what if Will showed up while she was here? I couldn't let him find out I was hiding him again."

JJ set her cup down on the table, untouched, next to Derek and Penelope's half emptly glasses.

"But then...I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore." She said and for the first time, they glimpsed her left ring finger.

And noticed how completely naked it looked without that rock sitting on it.

* * *

A/N: Dun dun dun... Want more? Me too. Review.


	10. Chapter 10

**Word Count:** 2116

**Disclaimer**: Nope. Still not mine. You'd know it if I did own.

**Author's Note**: So this is a little bit of information for us to know, and the other characters to, well, not know. Its the bit between chapters 9 and 10.

**Potion**, I've already confessed my undying love for you, so I hope you enjoy this chapter as well.

* * *

"JJ, where's Will?" Derek hadn't even realized that the man, if you could even call him that, wasn't around until he had noticed JJ's ring-less finger.

"He left." JJ answered simply.

"Kit—Jayje, where did he go?" Penelope coaxed.

"Um. I don't know. I didn't ask?" She supplied, raising her voice towards the end so it sounded more like a question than an actual statement. She appeared lost in thought when she began to speak again.

–

_She had pulled into the driveway after work to find a U-haul truck in her driveway, the back open and several boxes already loaded in._

"_What the hell?" She muttered to herself as she walked through the door only to find her house in disarray._

"_Will?" she called, following the muffled sounds coming from the bedroom they shared._

_He ignored her, much the way he had the night before. And this only pissed her off._

"_Will, look at me, damnit. Talk to me. What the hell is going on?"_

"_Well, basically," he drawled, "I'm leaving you."_

_She stood, shocked, as he walked around her to retrieve his badge from the nightstand drawer where she'd put it when he'd given it to her. _

"_Why?" she breathed, collapsing onto their bed. "What about Henry?"_

"_Henry will be fine. We'll work out a schedule and he _will_ know his father. I'm sure you'll find it reasonable that I get him every few months until he starts school. Then I'll be happy with summer vacation and holidays, switching each year. Sound fair?" He looked at her for the first time, and she could see that this was real. He was indeed leaving her, and he was standing there talking about their son like an object. How dare he!_

"_Henry will know his father, I agree with you on that, but where do you get off speaking of him like that? As if he were just some ordinary household object?" She asked, indignantly._

"_Where did you get off sleeping with her in our soon to be marriage bed?" He asked calmly._

_JJ's breath caught in her throat. Emily had never been in their bed, and she prepared to tell him so._

"_Save it Jennifer." He said, before her mouth had even opened. "I don't care. I'm over it. This," he gestured between them, "is over. But don't expect me to play dumb or sugar coat things for you. I've heard you whispering her name in your sleep, moaning her name in the shower when you think I can't hear." He closed the box he had been filling and put tape over the opening._

"_Now you'll be free to fuck that cunt whenever you want."_

"_Emily is _**not**_ a cunt!" JJ shouted, horrified that Will could even be speaking that way._

"_You see Jennifer? You haven't even asked me to stay once, but you defend that whore at the drop of a dime. Thats all the proof I needed that I'm doing the right thing. I'll be out by tonight, so why don't you go celebrate, and come back later." He turned away from her, signifying that he was done speaking with her. Done with her altogether. _

_She slipped out the front door, and even though she knew he knew she was going to, she called Emily. _

_It rang and rang, until eventually her voice-mail picked up, and Emily's luscious voice spoke into JJ's ear, saying that she wasn't available, but to leave a name and number and her call would be returned._

"_Damnit Emily, I need you right now." JJ muttered as she snapped the phone shut. She didn't leave a message. She hated leaving personal messages. She always sounded so stupid._

_JJ got back into her car and headed out to the park, seating herself on a bench, and there she stayed until she received a text message from Will. _

"I'm gone. I'll call you in a few weeks to make arrangements for our son. I'm sorry things didn't work out. - Will."

_Well, JJ thought, theres that over with. It was nearing nine o'clock, but still she sat on the bench, staring out at the people slowly walking through the park. Some were couples, holding hands, or simply standing still, enjoying the comfort of each other. It made JJ sick. _

_She called Emily again. _

_Her heart sank further when again the brunette didn't answer. "Emily what have I done." JJ breathed, standing up and making her way back to her car. She thought briefly about going to Emily's, but decided that being ignored by phone was far less painful than being ignored outright. Maybe there was a reason she wasn't answering the phone._

_As JJ arrived back at her house, she was surprised at how empty it seemed. But what surprised her more was that she didn't care. Will was gone and she wasn't even upset. She just shrugged and tried Emily once more._

"_This is pathetic." JJ whispered as tears started to slide down her face as once again she heard Emily's voice-mail "Why am I doing this to myself?" She collapsed on the couch and dialed a different number._

"_Jennifer? Is everything alright?" _

"_Yeah, Mom, everything is fine. Well, not everything. Will left me." _

"_Oh, Jayje, are you ok? Why did he leave? Where did he go? What about Henry?" She waited for her mother to finish her myriad of questions._

"_I'm not sure where he went. Back to New Orleans I guess. I didn't ask. He said he'd call about Henry later. He wants to be a part of his life though. I guess we just didn't work out." JJ supplied calmly. Will she could handle thinking about._

"_How's Henry?" She asked._

"_Oh he's fine. Quite the early riser, just like you used to be." Her mother gushed over her grandson for a few more moments, and JJ couldn't help but wonder what was going to happen now when she had to go away on a case._

"_JJ, Honey, what are you going to do about cases?" Her mother read her mind._

"_I'm not sure mom. I have no idea what I'm going to do about any of it. I'm just so confused." She was on the brink of tears again, but not because of Will. Once again Emily was causing the tears to flow, and JJ was almost too weak to fight them off. _

_Her mother didn't ask though, supposing that the tears were because of the break-up. She had no idea of her daughters elicit affair with Emily. Well she did, but JJ didn't need to know that. _

"_Actually, honey, I'm asking because your father and I have been talking. We've been thinking that maybe we need a change of scenery. We've been in Allegheny since before you were born, and I for one would certainly like to see New York more often. Plus, I don't want to miss any of Henry unless I absolutely have to." _

_JJ was stunned. Her mother had just offered to move up here. For her. Because she needed them. _

"_Mom, are you sure?" She asked, breathless. _

"_Well, yes dear. Certainly now that you're going to need us." Her mother assured her._

"_Mom, I don't know what to say."_

"_Say that you'll start looking for somewhere for your father and I to stay." She could hear the grin on her mother's face._

"_Of course! Mom, when should I expect this all to happen?" JJ inquired._

"_Well, give us a few more weeks with Henry in Allegheny, and we'll bring him back to you with our first load. Say in three weeks?" _

"_I'm sure I could find you somewhere by then, and if not you're welcome here with me. My house seems so large now that Will's gone. I'm not sure I've really accepted it yet. He literally just walked out..." JJ trailed off._

"_I know sweetheart. Make yourself some tea and get some rest. Call me in the morning, ok?"_

"_Ok Mom. I love you guys, and give Henry a kiss for me." _

_Her mother agreed, and they hung up. JJ looked at her phone. _

_11:30_

_She couldn't believe she'd spent that much time on the phone with her mother. She couldn't believe her mother would be moving up here for good in less than a month. Talk about change. _

_She hated herself for it, but she dialed Emily's number again. She thought seriously about leaving a message, but chickened out at the last second._

_She sat for another two hours on her couch, blindly, thinking about the past three years. Her mind skipped from when she'd first met Will, to how she'd felt when Emily had told her to go after him. _

_Emily._

_Her mind lingered on the woman. The way she danced her fingers across the steering wheel when she liked the song on the radio. The way her fingers danced across JJ's skin in the same manner. The way a single touch from the brunette had her lost for words. The way Emily would slip past her in the hallway at work, smiling warmly, as if JJ were her whole world, and JJ's chest would tighten, and when she turned around, ready to kiss her senseless, the other woman would be gone, her laughter floating down the hall._

_Emily's laugh. JJ loved Emily's laugh. She loved her smile. She would do anything to keep that smile on Emily's face. But lately, it was harder and harder to catch the brunette smiling. And JJ hadn't heard her laugh in months._

_Emily... _

_JJ sighed and picked her phone up once more, and wasn't surprised in the least when she heard Emily's voice-mail Hot tears pricked at her eyes and she couldn't see the next call she made, but knew she'd dialed right when Penelope answered._

–

Penelope and Derek sat silently as JJ finished with an awkward, "and then you showed up."

"Well, Emily's fine, I talked to Elle earlier." Derek said, trying to calm JJ's fears that maybe Emily was out hurt somewhere.

"What's Elle got to do with Emily?" JJ asked sharply, eying him warily.

Penelope tried in vain to stop Derek from opening his stupid, guy's mouth again, but she wasn't fast enough, so she closed her eyes and clenched her teeth as he answered JJ.

"They went on a date. Out dancing or something like that."

"_Why_ Derek? Why the _fuck_ would you tell me that?" JJ shouted, her heart breaking even as she did.

She ran to her bathroom, and was violently ill.

Penelope glanced at Derek, who looked like someone might have killed his puppy and then shoved it in his mailbox.

"Oh the cruel injustices of life..." Penelope whispered, and he looked at her.

"I didn't know it was a secret!" He defended himself sharply.

"For such a ladies man, you really have no way with women." She replied, and he hung his head, knowing she was right. He had really messed up.

"Its not that its a secret, its that she's in love with Emily. And she's only just now realizing it." Penelope explained.

JJ heard Penelope from the bathroom and retched again. She knew Pen was right. She was in love with Emily, and she'd been too blind to see it until another woman was flaunted in her face.

When she'd known Elle, the woman hadn't been exactly slow about falling into bed with people, so it wouldn't surprise her if she'd gotten Emily into bed already. The things they'd be doing now...

JJ was sick again, as the tears streamed down her face harder, and she hated her mind for thinking of things like that. For thinking of Emily like that.

It wasn't until she felt her hair being pulled out of her face that she noticed Penelope's presence.

"Jayje, calm down. Its gonna be alright." She soothed.

"You can't know that!" JJ sobbed, falling against Penelope. She cried onto the other woman's shoulder, until she cried herself to sleep, and Penelope enlisted Derek's help in getting the petite blond into her bed.

They came back out into the living room, and sat on JJ's couch knowing that they wouldn't be leaving tonight. They'd be here in the morning, to help her through whatever they could, and when work came on Monday, they'd stand by her side as she walked into the building holding her head high when they all three would know all she wanted to do was cry.

* * *

**A/N**: There it is my friends. You have no idea how hard it was to write this chapter. I hate making beautiful women cry. The next one is going to be even harder. But you won't get it unless you review. I know I have more lovely supporters out there.


	11. Chapter 11

**Word Count**: 953

**A****iled**, I'm so glad that you're still reading. And one of the best? I'm very appreciative of your words.

**Caramel. Tart**., I won't disappoint you. Your secret pleasure-ish ship is here to stay. ;)

**Potion**, Yeah, I figured that it was time somebody gave Spencer a break and made Derek the 'not so bright with women' one. Haha And I'm pretty sure you'll be changing your mind again towards the end of this chapter. ;) Don't hate me. Haha

**LB**, eventually, everything will work its way out. With just a few 'minor' setbacks first. I'm glad my updates could help after your rough day.

**Lucky Charms**, Thank you, for reviewing, and for your kind words. I hope that the rest of the story keeps your attention.

**Author's Note**: So many of you have voiced that you feel sorry for JJ. Well, blame the muse. I'll keep her well hidden so you can't rip her head off after this chapter. Things aren't getting better for JJ anytime soon. But, there is some lovely JJ/Elle interaction for my wonderful readers.

Oh, and for the record, the chapter before this was supposed to be labled 9.7, not 97, but I guess you can't put decimals in chapter titles. Who woulda thunk it?

* * *

It was turning out to be another boring Monday at the BAU. Apparently even serial killers needed some time away from the victims.

JJ hadn't been out of her office all day, and Derek was beginning to worry about her. By the time he and Penelope had left Sunday afternoon she could say Emily's name without bursting into tears, but they could tell she still wanted to.

Emily however, had been full of smiles that didn't quite reach her eyes. She kept biting her lip and looking up at JJ's door. Derek decided that she needed to talk. So he asked her to lunch. Well sort of.

"Hey Prentiss."

"Yeah?" she asked, distractedly.

"We're going to lunch." He said decisively, and walked over to her desk.

"Why?" she practically squeaked, looking nervously up at him.

"Because we haven't talked in forever. Now get your pretty little ass up and lets go."

"Stop staring at my ass Morgan," she huffed.

"I'm not. I'm merely repeating words that a certain brunette birdie might have whispered into my ear last night." He smirked when she blushed.

_So Elle did tell Morgan. _Emily thought. After the other woman had left her apartment Sunday afternoon with a lingering kiss and a promise to call the next day, Emily had wondered briefly how long it would take Morgan to get all the information out of her.

"Don't worry. I didn't get any details. Thats what this lunch is for." He grinned wickedly as she scoffed at him, and they continued their journey to the elevator.

***

JJ heard a knock on her door, and answered warily, "Come in." She didn't look up, just in case it was Emily, opting instead to continue with her paperwork. She didn't want to have to explain why she'd called her fifteen million times over the weekend.

After a few moments of silence she knew she was going to have to acknowledge the person's presence before they said anything. Imagine her surprise to look up and see Elle standing there, studying her, a scowl on her face.

Immediately JJ was on edge.

"What are you doing?" She asked authoritatively, really meaning _"What the hell are you doing standing in my doorway when you have to be specially invited to even step foot in this building." _

And they both knew it.

"Trying to see what she see's in you." Elle answered calmly, referring to Emily.

They both knew that, too.

"What are you talking about?" JJ asked, pinching the bridge of her nose, and Elle noticed the absence of her engagement ring.

She nodded meaningfully towards it, and JJ cut off any further comment with a look that said clearly "_don't you dare go there right now."_

"She's totally in love with you." Elle switched topics.

JJ sat, stunned. Hadn't Elle just taken Emily out? Wasn't Emily laughing and joking with the guys in the bullpen? If she was so in love with her, why was it so easy for Emily to function without her?

"Why are you here?" JJ asked.

Elle laughed cynically. "You really are blind."

JJ stared blankly at her.

"Emily would have given you the world JJ, and you just tossed her around, because you knew you could."

"Is there a reason you're telling me this?" JJ could feel her anger rising, and she knew that soon she was going to regret most of this conversation.

"I just thought somebody should paint you a picture of just how great that woman really is."

"The sex was that good? Huh...Ya know, just because _you're_ fucking her now doesn't mean you've seen the real picture." JJ didn't care anymore that she was talking about Emily. All she cared about was hurting Elle as much as Elle was hurting her.

"I swear to God, JJ, if we weren't in a federal building surrounded by federal agents, I'd slap that look right off your face." Elle growled, her fists clenching at her sides, and she was suddenly grateful that she wasn't carrying.

"Aw, look who's gone soft. What happened to 'I'm big bad Federal Agent Greenaway, and I'm going to shoot you in cold blood'?"

JJ could only hope that she had managed to keep the fear out of her eyes as Elle advanced on her, slamming her hands down on the desk between them.

"I suggest you watch yourself, Agent Jareau."

The words flew out of her mouth before she could stop them.

"You just might find yourself facing "Big Bad Agent Greenaway." Elle growled, and her eyes flashed.

"Oh, and just something to ponder later," she said, straitening, "I'm _not_ fucking her. I'm _caring_ about her. Huge difference. What you two did? _That_ was fucking. _If_ and _when_ Emily decides she's ready to do _anything_ more than spend time with me, I'll be there to show her just what she _missed_ when she was in bed with _you_."

She spun sharply on her heel and her breath caught when she saw Emily and Derek standing just outside the door, he flicking his gaze between the two women in the office, and she fighting between confusion, hurt, and the rage that threatened to consume her.

"How...How long have you been there?" JJ asked, noticing them for the first time.

Elle took a step towards Emily, but Emily shot her a look, advising her to stay away or incur a wrath so great as that of World War Three. And before anyone could do or say anything else, Emily had fled. And Elle did what no one had done before.

She ran after Emily.

* * *

A/N: I'm just jerking your feelings around seven ways from Sunday, aren't I? What with JJ's pain and Emily's pain, and now Elle. Gee, what ever will we do with me? Review, and let me know. =)


	12. Chapter 12

**Word Count**: 499

**Author's Note**: I know this chapter is terribly short, but its just basically the rest of Chapter 10, which needed to end that way. For dramatic flair. Haha. But, on with the show.

**Caramel. Tart**., I can't wait to read your oneshot, I'm hoping you'll put it up so we can? And I'm so glad you liked this chapter. I was hoping I hadn't gone too far with the "Big Bad Agent Greenaway", but everybody knows about it, and I never really addressed it before. Yeah, JJ's pretty much pissed me off too, which is funny, because I'm writing this. Haha. But here, you don't need to kill me. =D

**Potion**, Aww...I was hoping I could pull you back onto the Elle/Emily side of things. But maybe this chapter will help more with that. No ulterior motives, I promise. But no, nothing is ever easy with me. Haha.

**Jaiden**, I'm so glad you liked big bad agent Greenaway. I was hoping people would. And thank you so much. You're sending my ego to new heights.

And onto Chapter 11.

* * *

Elle found Emily in the bathroom, leaning against the counter. She sought Emily's dark eyes in the mirror.

_I have really got to stop running into people this way. _Emily thought bitterly.

"What." The enraged woman spat.

"You ran. I followed." Elle answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. And to her, it was.

"Yeah, I got that. Why." Emily wasn't asking. But Elle was going to answer anyway.

_This is going to take some work._ Elle thought as she shook her head. Emily was just as blind as JJ. _Ugh. JJ. _She knew she needed to fix that, but now wasn't the time to worry about it.

"You needed following. You can't expect me to let you run away from me without some sort of explanation." She stepped towards Emily, but stopped suddenly when the other woman spun sharply.

"Yes, I can! I don't need you following me like a puppy. And I sure as hell don't need you fighting my battles for me." She stated harshly, her eyes dancing with rage.

"I'm not fighting your battles. I'm fighting my own." Elle said, stepping closer to her.

"Oh, yeah? And what might those be?" Emily asked, still severely pissed.

"I'm fighting for _this_." Elle whispered, placing a searing kiss against Emily's mouth.

At first, Emily balked against her, but as Elle continued to work her lips over Emily's, the shorter woman began to respond, moving closer and sliding her arms around Elle's neck.

Elle spun them, pinning Emily against the wall.

"Lets get one thing straight Prentiss." She looked down at Emily.

"I may be following you, but I am _not_ a puppy." She grinned slightly, but then became serious once more.

"You ran, and thats fine, I understand why. But you need to quit running from me. Because I'm just going to keep running after you. I want this, Emily Prentiss. I want you. All of you. Your pain..."

She kissed her softly.

"Your scars..." She trailed off, kissing her again.

"Your blood."

Emily groaned at the memory, kissing Elle fiercely.

"I want you too." She whispered. "Your support. Your puppy-ish tendencies. Your history. I want all of it, and that scares the hell out of me. You have no idea."

"Oh, I think I can sort of grasp the magnitude." Elle said, sliding her arms around Emily's waist, leaning into the other woman. "And I told you. I'm not a puppy."

Emily laughed, and Elle relished the sound of it; solid; real.

"As much as I would love to spend the rest of the day in your arms, I think you should probably get back to work. I'll come by your place tonight, ok?" Elle breathed against Emily's lips, kissing her softly after she nodded.

"I like you." Emily whispered, and Elle shivered, hoping that one day, maybe some of those letters might change.

* * *

**A/N**: So, I was thinking about leaving it like that, and saying THE END! But...theres just so many unresolved conflicts, and I was never one to leave loose ends untied...So you're probably going to be getting a few more chapters. Does that work for you?


	13. Chapter 13

**Word Count**: 1103

**Author's Note**: This chapter is a little more up to par for me. Word count wise anyway. It gives a little insight into what the other characters are thinking.

**Jaiden**, The story will continue, fear not. Thank you for your continued support.

**Caramel. Tart.**, Wow, favorite. You're too sweet. That the most amazing review I've ever had. There will be a sit down. Tis inevitable. There are just a few things that need to happen first.

**The Devil's Queen**, ends will be tied, my friend, don't fret.

* * *

The flight back to Quantico was quiet and semi relaxed. When the victims were alive, it made things slightly easier to deal with. They were returning from Minnesota and each was immersed in his or her own thoughts.

**_Aaron Hotchner_**

had noticed the difference in the way JJ and Emily had been acting towards each other. He knew that they had gotten close. He was glad that they had, knowing how JJ had been close to Elle when she'd left. He'd been worried about her accepting Emily. But time had passed and they'd formed a close bond. He had watched as their relationship progressed. Now, he could only do the same as their relationship disintegrated. He only hoped things would get better before he had to intercede.

**_David Rossi_**

knew Prentiss was cutting herself. He could pinpoint the day she started. It wasn't hard, when it was the middle of June, and she was dressed in longsleeves and a jacket she didn't need. He worried about her, the way a father would, but felt that if he asked her about it, things would just get worse. He had hoped that JJ would be the one to pull Emily out of her whole. Oh, he knew about them, too. He knew the day they started, because JJ had come in the next day and couldn't keep her eyes off of Emily. But it seemed that Elle might actually do a better job. He just hoped that somebody would be around to pick up JJ's pieces.

**_Derek Morgan_**

was just confused. He felt as if he were caught in the middle. He loved JJ and Emily as sisters, and wanted them to be happy. He may be a player, but he didn't believe in cheating. JJ had, and look how that had turned out. She'd fallen in love with Emily, but had hurt her beyond repair. Until Elle showed up. He loved how Emily smiled now, with her whole body, not just her lips. And now Will had left JJ. But he just didn't know if he could bring himself to blame him. Nobody deserved to hurt the way JJ did now, but he didn't know what he could do to help her.

**_Emily Prentiss_**

had everything she had ever wanted at her fingertips. The job she had fought her whole life for, friends who stood by her side even when that job was on the rocks. And now she had a gorgeous woman waiting for her at home. A woman she hoped would continue to be there, in her home, even after she realized who exactly she was dealing with. Emily had never had an easy time with it. She'd had her childhood stolen by a boy and a pregnancy. An abortion and self-injury. A hospital and countless medications. When she decided to quit playing their games, she lost her mother. But that didn't matter. She could handle things without them. When she started her self-injury again, and JJ 'came to her rescue', Emily felt as if she were flying. The woman of her dreams was giving her what she could never have asked for. But things had happened, and words had flown, and she knew there were things she needed to fix between them. But for now, Emily was certain that her dreams were changing.

**_Spencer Reid_**

didn't always catch the hidden meaning behind the things his team members said. Sometimes he went days missing the obviousness right in front of him. But he wasn't stupid. He knew something was going on with Emily and JJ. JJ hadn't confided in him, which was odd for her. Emily hadn't said anything about it either. But he knew. Something had fallen apart between them, something big. It frustrated him that not only did he not know what was going on, but he couldn't think of a thing he had ever read that applied to their situation. He had watched his mother fall apart. He hoped with everything he had that things would start looking up for them. Soon.

**_Jennifer Jareau_**

was beyond grateful to her parents, who she had spilled her guts to when they showed up early because of her new case. She knew she owed them big time for not only helping her with Henry, but for not throwing her out of their life when they found out she liked girls. But she was fairly certain her heart had broken into millions of tiny pieces. And she couldn't find all of them to fit them back together. She could only grab the larger ones, all of which had Emily's name engraved on them, and glue them back together; pray they stayed. And maybe in time the letters would fade.

**_Penelope Garcia_**

loved the passion her friends had. She enjoyed toying with their heads when she fed them information, just to lighten their moods. But when her friends hurt, she hurt. And right now, a lot of her friends were hurting. JJ, because Will had left her and she couldn't cope with Emily. Emily, because she hated hurting JJ. Elle, because she knew she needed to fix things with JJ but just didn't know how. And Derek, because he felt as if he were stuck in the middle of an all out war, between three women who had guns drawn. She was the go-to, for each one of them, and while she tried her hardest not to pick sides, it was getting increasingly harder. One of these days she was going to just lock all of them in one room until they were finished talking.

***

The couch in Emily's condo was occupied. The occupant had been convinced that spending money on a hotel room she was never in, really made no sense.

**_Elle Greenaway_**

had everything she had ever wanted at her fingertips. She had had a rough time when she left the BAU. Jumping from job to job, just trying to find people she got along with. But nobody understood her the way her fellow profilers did. So when Derek called her out of the blue and said she should drop by for a few weeks, she couldn't resist. And on top of that, she had found Emily. The woman was beautiful, strong, and she treated Elle without indignation. She understood the feeling of being in "the boys club." They could relate. Right now, things were rough, and they had some issues to sort out not only between themselves, but with JJ as well. But she was bound and determined to make this work. Because they deserved to finally catch a break.

* * *

**A/N:**Sooo. Now that you know what everybody's thinking...let me know what YOU're thinking, and we'll get moving with the story.


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note: So, today's my birthday. Finally hit the big One Eight. Yay!!

So, the time elapsed in this fic has actually been like...a few weeks...like 2 maybe. Including the one they spent away on the case.

And yes, this was supposed to be the big smut chapter, but I just couldn't get it to flow right. But I still think the chapter is worthy of posting.

Disclaimer: I don't own DMB. Tragic, I know.

Oh, and BTDUB, Dave Matthews Band rocks, and I own nothing more than a few CDs.

* * *

Realizing that she intended to be in the area for a while, Elle hadn't fought too hard when Emily had tried to convince her to quit wasting money on a hotel room, and just stay with her. _"Its not like I don't have the extra room."_ She had pointed out. But Elle hadn't needed the extra room. She'd slept in Emily's bed while they'd been away on their case, just wanting to be closer to the other woman.

Tonight was her first night back, and though Elle had tried to convince Emily to let her do the cooking, Emily had insisted. So here she was, watching as Emily danced around the kitchen to one of her many CDs. Dave something or other. Michael maybe? She didn't know. But she smiled as Emily began to sing under her breath, in a low alto, something about a satellite strung from the moon.

Elle was struck by just how amazing the last few weeks had been. Never had she expected to find a connection as strong as the one she seemed to share with Emily. And certainly she hadn't expected to find it on an impromptu 'vacation' that an ex colleague had talked her into. But here she was, contemplating just how far in she had gotten herself this time, and whether she actually minded.

_No._ She decided. She didn't mind at all.

* * *

Emily felt her breath hitch as Elle's lips met her neck. They were sitting on Emily's bed, supposed to be watching a movie, but Elle had spent the majority of the past twenty three minutes watching Emily. She knew. She'd been counting. She tilted her head slightly, subconsciously, giving Elle access to her pulse point, which she lavished with attention.

Elle traced her tongue across Emily's neck, in a pattern she was not familiar with. Elle was being quite deliberate with her strokes, and Emily tried to concentrate, to see if she could distinguish the importance. But she couldn't. Either her brain was too muddled, or there _was_ no significance. She decided to risk it.

"What is it?" she asked, her breath hitting Elle's lips as she leaned up to kiss Emily.

"What is what?" she asked, avoiding the question. It seemed sort of silly, thinking about it.

"What you put on my neck." Emily clarified.

"N-n-nothing." Elle stammered, kissing her again. Trying in vain to get her to give it up.

"Liar." Emily whispered, intrigued now. She sucked Elle's lower lip into her mouth, biting down gently, shivering at the other woman's moan.

"If I tell you will you leave it alone?" Elle asked, pulling away. She really had no idea where it had come from, but it had seemed right, and given the opportunity, she would probably do it the same way.

Emily nodded.

"I drew my name, across your neck." Elle said, blushing. She wasn't even sure why she was getting so worked up over it. Maybe because, even though it was invisible she had still, in a way, marked Emily.

Emily was taken aback by how amorous something so simple as Elle licking her name across her neck could be. She pulled Elle to her, against her, kissing her slowly.

"Emily." She breathed.

"Hmm?" Emily answered, her eyelids fluttering as Elle moved, over her now.

Elle trailed kisses along Emily's jaw line to her ear, whispering softly, "Let me make love to you."

Emily shivered, slipping her arms around Elle's neck and kissing her even as she answered.

"I can't."

"Why not." Elle posed the question against Emily's neck, as she fell in love with the feel of the other woman's hands in her hair.

"You don't." Emily answered, trying to untangle herself from Elle, wondering why she was even trying.

"I will." Elle countered, glancing up to catch Emily's eyes. Let Emily see just how serious she was.

Emily's hands stayed around her neck, locked in her hair as Elle's fingers whispered over all the places that made her breath hitch.

Emily caught Elle's mouth with her own, her lips working furiously against the taller woman's, the movie, and her previous hesitation, completely forgotten. She curled her fingers around a lock of Elle's hair and pulled lightly; teasingly. The taller woman released her from their kiss and shivered.

She shook Emily's hands out of her hair and laced their fingers, kissing her slowly.

"Let me show you."

Emily stilled beneath her and was immobile so long that Elle feared she had pushed too far. But as she tried to push herself off of Emily, she found herself fighting the grip of the other brunette. Emily had her hands locked on Elle's shoulders, and one leg wrapped around her waist.

"Show me." She whispered, kissing Elle softly.

* * *

A/N: Well, there ya go. Sooooo Review. Happy birthday to me.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note**: I'm sorry this has taken so long to update. But this is the last chapter. Well, theres a sort of "tie everything together" that comes next, but I just think its time for this story to end.

I hope you all enjoy.

* * *

Mrs. Jareau was singing a lullaby to Henry when she heard a faint knock on the downstairs door. Her husband and daughter had stepped out to the store, so she laid the boy down and headed towards the stairs.

* * *

JJ and her father unloaded the car in one trip, and hauled it all into the kitchen. Her mother came in to relieve her of having to put the groceries away, saying that she had company.

JJ walked curiously into her living room, following the cooing sounds someone was making with Henry. She wasn't sure what to do once she saw who it was. Part of her wanted to just make peace and get it over with, but most of her was outraged that this woman was touching her child.

"Elle." She spoke through gritted teeth.

The brunette looked up, surprised, not having heard JJ come in.

"JJ wait, before you raise your motherly hackles. I'm not hurting him, and I don't have anything contagious or anything like that. I just, I really need to talk to you." Elle was rambling, and it wasn't like her. JJ took a silent moment to enjoy that fact before she answered.

"Ok. About what?" She sat across from Elle, and Henry made his way towards her, crawling into her lap.

"Emily." Elle watched the slight cringe that passed through JJ as she mentioned the other woman, but she needed to. She knew how bad Emily was hurting, and she was doing this for her. Taking a deep breath, Elle plowed on.

"She's hurting. And before you get all high and mighty, I know you are too. What with Will leaving you, and then me coming along and taking the only other source of comfort you had practically on the same day. I'm sorry JJ. I really am. I wish sometimes, for your sake, that I could walk away from her and you could come to her rescue and be happily the two of you forever. But I just...I can't. I'm falling for her, falling hard." She stopped when she noticed the tears in JJ's eyes.

"Jayje, are you ok? I'm really sorry. I can-I can go.." Elle stood, but JJ set Henry down and grabbed her arm, pulling her back onto the couch, and sitting beside her.

"Don't go. Its just, I would never have thought about giving her up for you, and you've thought about giving her up for me, and what does that say about us? That you really do deserve her and I'm just holding on to sex that should have gone so much deeper. It did go so much deeper. But it shouldn't have been happening. Will was right to leave me, because I'd been cheating on him for over a year. I should never have put him in that position. I should never have put _her_ in that position. The only proof I need that you really are the best for her is that she actually wore short sleeves yesterday. Elle you can't imagine how hard it was, knowing I was the one hurting her." JJ broke down, sobbing on Elle's shoulder, and without even thinking Elle was there for her, just like she would have been years ago, before she had left the BAU.

"I'm so sorry Jayje. I wish things were different. I wish...I don't know, that I could have helped you before I fell in love with her." Elle tried to soothe.

"Elle shut up." JJ managed a watery reply. "I don't deserve her. She deserves so much better than me. And if I had to lose her to someone, I'd rather it be you, someone I know, then someone I don't. Because I know you'll treat her right. If only because you know I'm a better shot than you." JJ was trying to inject some humor into the situation when she heard a knock on the door. Having seen her parents grab Henry and go upstairs to leave her in privacy with Elle, she jumped up and opened the door, not bothering to look through her peep hole.

"Hey, Jayje. I really need to talk to you. And I really need you to listen, just for a minute." Emily said, obviously awkward standing outside JJ's door.

JJ's head was reeling. First Elle, now Emily, within thirty minutes of each other. Realizing that she was just standing there with her door open sort of staring at Emily, she blushed and backed up, letting the brunette in.

Emily followed her to the living room, and wasn't all that surprised when she saw Elle.

"How did I know you would be here?" she asked, shaking her head.

"Well, I left a note for you." Elle said, subconsciously shifting closer to JJ, just in case what Emily had to say wasn't all that decent.

"Really? I never went back to the house." Emily just shook her head and appeared to be pondering fate.

JJ however, was watching them, and how they interacted, and she was quite surprised. She had thought it would make her sick, but in an odd way, it was comforting. In her heart, she had believed that they would be together forever somehow. But in her head she had always known that she and Emily Prentiss wouldn't work out. And sometimes the head is far wiser.

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**A/N**: Reviews are my air. Help me breathe.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note:** And so we've reached the end. I hope you enjoyed the ride. 

**Thank you to all my readers who have stuck through this till the end. **

**This one's for you.  
**

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Derek had gone to get a round of drinks for his friends, and as he stood waiting, he looked back on the past few months and how they'd gotten to this point.

The bosses were learning that if they stayed for a second drink they didn't get ribbed as much.

JJ was sitting across from Spencer, beating him at Gin, like only she could, and he was smiling at her in a way he thought was secret code for "I'm totally head over heels for you" but in reality was anything but secret.

The ring that sparkled on Penelope's left ring finger made his heart jump each time he saw it. And she flaunted it often.

Beside JJ sat Elle, with Emily perched on her lap, laughing at something the taller woman had said. He couldn't help but smile as Emily leaned over and whispered into JJ's ear what obviously ended up being Spencer's hand, because as JJ won again he punched Emily lightly on the arm, and Elle hit him back.

What surprised him most about the last few months, was that when everyone was worried about who would pick up JJ's pieces, they hadn't ever thought it would be Elle and Emily. But it had been. And now, almost a two years later, Henry had visitation with his father every three months, JJ had a key to Spencer's apartment, and Emily and Elle had been instrumental in putting JJ's pieces back together.

Who woulda thunk it?

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**A/N:** I look forward to hearing what you thought of it, because I know you're just dying to tell me.

And from here, I hope you move onto my other fics, because, as we all know, I'm amazing. =D


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